Self-playing piano.



' PATENTED DEC. 25, 1906. J. W. DARLBY, JB.

SELF PLAYING PIANO.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 13. 1906.

3 SHEETS-SHEET] No. 839,559, Y PATENTED DEG. 25, 1906. J. W. DARLEY, JR.

SELF PLAYING PIANO.

APPLICATION FILED .15.11.13, 1906.

B SHEETS-SHEET 2.

PATENTED DEG. 25, 1906. J. W. DARLEY, JB.

SELF PLAYING PIANO.

AEPLIOATION FILED JAH. 13. 1906.

-'been folded. down IUNrrnn f STATES PnrENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM KNABE t COMPANY MANUFACTURING COMPANY OF BALTIMORE CITY, OFBALTIMORE` MARYLAND, A CORPORATION OF MARYLAND.

SELF-PLAYING PIANO.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 25, 1906.

Application filed January 13, 1906. Serial No. 295,988.

To all whom it may cfm/cern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN W. DARLEY, Jr., a citizen of the United States,residing at Baltimore city, State oi Maryland, have invented'certain newand useful Improvements in Self-Playing Pianos and I do hereby declarethe following to be a full, clear, and eX- aot descri tion of theinvention, such as will enable otliers skilled in the art to which itapoertains to make and use the same.

'Iy invention relates to improvements in self-playing pianos of the typeshown in my former patent, No. 813 35,5, dated February 20, 1,906 andthe'object of myinvention is to provide means whereby after the key-sliphas to ldck the keys and the pedal-board folded down to bring thepneumatic apparatus into action said. keys may be unlocked and operatedby the playenwithout the necessity of folding back the pedalboard.

With these objects in view my' invention consists in the constructionand combinations 'oi' parts, as claimed. Y

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side view oi a piano withone of the ends removed. Fig. 2 is abroken iront view with a part oi thetop casing removed. Fig. 3is a side view, partly in elevation, showingthe mechamsm for locking the keys outoi operation. Fig. e is a similarview showing the locking means holding the keys looked, and Fig.. 5 is adetail view showing a part' of the pedal attachment for unlocking thekeys af- .ter the pedal-board has been ioided down.

a represents one of the ordinary pivoted keys, and l; represents a barextending across the piano and 'adaptedwhen lowered to vlook saidlteysagainst movement, resting upon strips of telt c. on said keys. The baris supported in brackets d, one of which is pivoted, as shown at c inFig. i, to each side oi the iano. Each of the brackets as s own at f,and a headed screw g passes through said slot into the bar o, therebymaking the latter brackets. These brackets d are of considerable sizeand weight, and unless positively prevented they will assume theposition shown in Fig. 4, bringing the bar Zi into conhereinafterdesoribed 'and d is slotted,

adjustable upon said tact with gravity.

h represents a key-slip pivoted on the front frame ofthe piano andarranged to fold outwardly, as shown in Fig. 4. To this keyslip It isattached va lever i, which is bent downwardly, as shown at j, andprovided with a horlzontal pin lc. This pin when the key-sli is foldeddown',as shown in Fig. .4, is broug t intocontact with the projectingend m of a rotating locking-rod n, movin'ig` it against the tension ofthe spri o. he lower end of the rod n is provided with a hook p, whichengages a slot in the upper part of the pedal-board 1f, whic downLso asto bring the pneumatic attachthe vkeys o and locking them' by Ament intooperation.

It is obvious from the description and the construction shown in Figs. 3and 4 that the folding lever t forward, whereupon the pin lc will isadapted to foldv down of the key-slip will move the strike the end m ofthe lever n and unlock the pedal-board, whereby the latter will fold bythe pressure ofthe spring 11 into the upper position. (Shown in dottedlines in Fi 1.) L

From the up er position l(shown in otted lines in Fig. l) t epedal-board may be folded down into the lower positionl, (shown indotted lines in said lgure,) in which position the piano may be operatedas a self-playing instrument.,

s represents a portion of the folding pedalboard nivoted to the frame,as shown at t. Pivoted to the bottom board s is a ush-rod n, whichextends up between the keys and the upper end of which contacts with ablock o, fastened to the center of the bar b. When the pedal-board isfolded u as shown in Fig. 3, the rod u holds the loc ring means awayfrom the keys, as shown inFig. 3 g but when the pedal-board is foldeddown, as shown in Fig. 4, the rod u is drawn down, whereupon the bar bfalls down and across the keys, being carried ldown by the heavybrackets d. y

To provide means whereby theplayer may operate the keys without thenecessity of folding up the keyboard, I have devised the following: Tothe soft pedal w, which is piv' oted, as shown at tothe lower part ofthe frame, is fastened an u wardl -extending bolt or rod y, which is ajustab y attached,

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by means of nuts, such as to one end of a' lever -2, which is pivoted,as vshown at 3, in brackets `4, extending upwardly from the i bottoni ofthe piano.

To the other end of the lever 2 is pivotally attached, as show-n at',a'push-rod 6, the upper end of which operates the soit-pedal attachment7, but which is separated therefrom by a space, as shown in Fig. 2. Thepush-rod 6 is provided with a slot 8, through which passes a piny 9ononeoi the brackets. ,the result being that when the push-rod 6 is inits lowest'position, as shown in Fig. 4, the bar b will beperrnitted tofall into the position shown in the same igure; but when 'the push-rod 6isl pushed up, as' bythe ldownward movement-of the soit pedal, the barl) `will be lifted and the keys c released, so that they 'inay be'operated by the player 'even when the key-slip h is folded' down, asshown in Fig; 4. A spring 1`O normally holds the lever 42 in theposition shown in Fig. 2. Suii'icient lost inotion is provided betweenthe end oi the rod 6 andthe soit-pedal attachment 7 ,so that the rstniotion oi the pedal w merely lift-s the bar o and. does not operate thesoit-pedal attachment,.wliich latter can be operated, however, by afurther depression of the pedal w. i

Theother parts of the piano are substantially the saine as' those setforth in iny prior patent above referred to.

Having thus described'iny invention, what l claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. in a self-playing piano, the combination of a pedal-board, keys, alocking means for said keys, a device operated bysaid pedal? board foroperating said locking nieans,and separate ineans for disengaging saidlocking means without the movement of the pedalboard, substantially'asdescribed.

n 2. In a self-playing piano, the combination of a pedal-board, keys, alocking-bar for said keys, a means for holding said lockingbar outoi'engagenient ywithsaid keys and perinittii'ig said locking-bar toengage with said keys bythe operation of thepedal-board, and separaterneans for moving Isaid locking ineans out of engagement with'said keys,substantially as described.

3. in a self-playing piano, the combination of a pedal-board, keys, agravity-operated locking-bar for said ke js, a iiieans for holding saidlocking-bar out o engagement with said keys and 'for permitting saidlocking-harto engage with said keys by vthe operation of thepedal-board, and separa te nieans for nzoving. said. Vlocking-bar out ofengageinent with said `keys without operating the pedal-board,

substantial y as described.

4. ln a self-playing piano, the combination oi keys, a locking-bar forsaid keys, ineans for holding said locking-bar out of engagenient withsaid keys, a pedal-board connect-4 said keys, a pivoted pedal-board,means op-` erated by said pedal-board for holding said bar out ofengagement with said keys, nieans for locking and unlocking saidpedal-board, including a'pivoted key-slip, and connections between saidkey-slip and said pedal-board, and separate ineens for moving thelocking means Ou'tidengagenient with the keys with- 1 out the movementof the pedal-board, substantially as described.

6. ln a self-playing piano, the combination oi keys, a locking-barirsaid keys, a pivoted pedal-board, a push-rod connected to saidpedal-board, and holding said locking-bar out oi contact with said keyswhen the pedalboard is folded up, 'means for locking said pedal-board,including a hooked rod, a pivoted key-slip, and a rod operated by saidkeyslip forl :moving said rod, and separate ineens for niovingsaidlocking-bar out of contact 'with said keys without the moverrent or" thepedal-board, substantially as described.

7. In a Vself-playing piano, the combination of a pivoted pedal-boardprovided with a catch, a rod provided with a hooked end, a springbearing' against said rod, a'pivoted key-slip, and a bent rod attachedthereto and carrying a pin, said pin being adapted to strike saidIhooked rod and unlock said pedalboard when said key-slip' .is tolded Idown, keys, a locking-bar for said keys, andv separatefineansfor-'moving said locking-bar yout of contact with said keys after ithasbeen brought into contact therewith by the moveirent ci thepedal-board,.substantially as described.

8. ln a self-playing piano, the coiibination of keys,'ineans for lockingthe saine, a pivot- 'ed pedal-board, i'ieans for locking said pedalboardinan upright position, means whereby the releasing of said locking meanswill lock said keys, and separate in eans for nioving vthelocking'nie'ans out oi'contact with said keys-without the nioventent ofthe pedalboard, saidseparate ireans consisting et a perla-La leverconnected thereto, a push-rod operated by said lever and provided with aslot, and a pin carried by the locking means for the keys, said pinengagi'ng'said slot, substantially as described.

IIC

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ln testimony whereof l affix niy signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN W'. DARLEY, JR.

Witnesses:

CHARLESV. R. Bonrronn, E. C. DOLE.

